Page:Life and journals of Kah-ke-wa-quo-na-by.djvu/48

They agreed to meet us at the time appointed. After this we started down the river to visit a Chippeway encampment, called Tumeko's Camp — about eight miles from Lower Muncey. We arrived at the encampment a little before sunset. After shaking hands with the old head Chief, I told him that we were Missionaries, and had come some distance to see them, and to tell about the words of the Great Spirit. The Chief replied that we had come quite unexpectedly to them, and therefore could not at present give us an answer, but that they would hear what we had to say on to-morrow morning. They showed us an empty wigwam, and told us that we might lodge there. Here we built a fire and got some boards to lie on. Brother K. caught a small fish on which we supped. We passed a wretched night as we had no blankets, but tried to sleep with our clothes on.

Monday 30th. — In the morning the Chiefs and some of the principal men met at one of the wigwams, and desired our attendance. There were four Chiefs present amongst this body of Indians, containing about fifteen rude huts or wigwams. We again explained to them the object of our visit to them. One of the Chiefs replied that the words we had spoken to them were strange words, and as Indians never changed their ways without first considering the matter seriously, and that as a number of their Chiefs and men were absent, they could not give us an answer at the present time, but that they would in about one moon and a half all meet, and then they would take the subject into their consideration, and be prepared to give us an answer by that time. We replied that we wished them to weigh the matter seriously, and so proceeded to discourse to them about religion, and shewed them the blessings and advantages they would derive from their having schools and religious meetings amongst them, and urged them to abandon the practice of drinking the fire-water. They replied